Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-14516

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress it has made on developing its proposed replacement to the Erasmus programme.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of educational mobility.

While we remain committed to Erasmus+, in the interim, we are creating a Scottish Education Exchange Programme to support participants from across Scotland’s education system.

This is a Programme for Government commitment and will help maintain Scotland’s place as an outward looking, internationally connected destination for work and study.

We are engaging with stakeholders from across the education spectrum, including higher and further education, schools (including early years and care), vocational education and training, youth work, adult education and sports. We are listening to the sectors and the needs of their learners and staff in order to ensure we create a programme fit for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-14196

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households it estimates will receive lower levels of financial support under the new Winter Heating Payment.

While we cannot reliably estimate the weather conditions in future years, over the last 7 years (2015-16 – 2021-22) around 97% of households in 22 out of the 27 weather station areas in Scotland received, on average, between zero and two Cold Weather Payments each winter. Five weather station areas received, on average, more than two Cold Weather Payments from 2015-16 – 2021-22, with around 12,000 eligible people resident in those areas. For the vast majority of those 12,000 people, the support received during that 7 year period was still, on average, less than 3 Cold Weather Payments per year.

Our new Winter Heating Payment will provide over £20 million investment each year, more than double the £8.3 million provided on average per winter by the UK Government over the last 7 years. This will provide reliable financial support for all eligible households in Scotland, rather than depending on sustained cold weather. This year around 415,000 people will receive Winter Heating Payment from the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-14195

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of traffic flow in Edinburgh due to the Sheriffhall roundabout.

The operational assessment of the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout project has included modelling of traffic flows to assess the impacts as a result of the proposed scheme. The modelling indicates that the resultant elimination of the conflict between strategic and local traffic at this junction would result in operational benefits for road users on all routes through the junction.

Details of the traffic assessment undertaken are available from the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Stage 3 Scheme Assessment Report which is available on the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/dmrb-stage-3-assessment-report-a720-sheriffhall-roundabout/ .

Question reference: S6W-14158

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done with universities and colleges to prepare students for a digitally-enabled health and care environment.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, in partnership with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), has been working for a number of years to engage with universities and colleges to shape the future workforce for the digital health and care sector. This includes work with Skills Development Scotland, and the FUTUREquipped project with Scotland's colleges: FUTUREquipped | Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (dhi-scotland.com)

We will continue to collaborate with partners to identify opportunities to accelerate new entrants into health and care roles. This will involve planning a programme with schools, colleges and universities to ensure curricula prepares students for a digitally enabled health and care sector.

This complements existing work by education providers to ensure curricula prepares students in higher and further education for a modern working environment and is all part of the wider cross sector ‘Digitally-Enabled Workforce’ Programme managed and run by NHS National Education for Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government and partners.

Question reference: S6O-01883

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with the Scottish National Investment Bank and the Bank of Scotland regarding any impact of the repayment terms of the investment in Circularity Scotland in May 2022 on the timetable for the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6O-01876

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to deliver superfast broadband to 100% of premises in Scotland by 2021.

Question reference: S6O-01873

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to propose time for a debate in the Parliament on parliamentary reform.

Question reference: S6O-01887

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Transport Scotland about the future of the railway industry, including its supply chain in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01869

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6O-01868

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made, as part of its cross-government coordination of Covid Recovery policies, of the wider ongoing impact of COVID-19, including on the economy.